


Bound

by jenatwork



Series: Bound [1]
Category: Free!
Genre: Aftercare, Aged-Up Character(s), BDSM, Established Relationship, M/M, Nagisa is the gentlest dom, Praise Kink, Rope Bondage, Shibari, dom!Nagisa, sub!Rei
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-06
Updated: 2016-01-06
Packaged: 2018-05-12 02:01:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5649628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenatwork/pseuds/jenatwork
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rei learns to let Nagisa take control.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bound

**Author's Note:**

> Forgive me, tumblr, for I have sinned. 6k+ words of Reigisa bondage fic. There isn't even much of a plot. I'm not quite sure where this came from - bondage definitely isn't my thing. But I like the idea of Rei learning to let Nagisa take control once in a while and discovering a new side to himself in the process.

It's definitely getting worse. Each day, Nagisa watches Rei stumble out of bed in the morning, sometimes so tired that he forgets his glasses until he's halfway through making breakfast, watches him head out to classes with less enthusiasm than the day before, and watches him come home later and later at night muttering about how he still has to study before he can allow himself to go to bed.

It doesn't help that Rei insisted on taking a part-time job. Nagisa works three days a week to pay his share of the rent, occasionally blowing off lectures to pick up overtime. Rei has a bank account, set up by his grandparents when he was a baby, which technically has enough money in it to cover his tuition and rent, but he refuses to let Nagisa be the only one working. So Rei works every Sunday at a nearby convenience store, helping with their weekly stock-take and unloading pallets of instant noodles and chocolate bars when the delivery arrives. It means they have a little extra money for nice food and even the occasional actual date, but lately Rei's ridiculous workload leaves Nagisa feeling like he barely gets to see his boyfriend except when he's on his way somewhere or just getting home, always too tired to do anything fun.

Nagisa reaches his limit when Rei starts getting too tired even for sex. They usually share the bed in what is supposed to be Nagisa's room; the room they call Rei's room when either of their parents call is mostly full of books and the boxes Nagisa has never unpacked, and there's a futon and blankets in there for the sake of appearances or when they have a guest. Rei comes home so late one evening that Nagisa is already in bed, and he hears Rei shuffling about in the other bedroom, so he switches on the lamp, climbs out from beneath the covers and wanders out to see what's going on. 

He finds Rei setting out the futon, muttering under his breath. Nagisa clears his throat to get Rei's attention, chuckling when Rei shrieks in surprise and whips his head around to look at Nagisa standing in the doorway.

“Nagisa-kun! I thought you were asleep,” he explains, with enough decency to look a little sorry. “I didn't want to wake you.”

“You are always allowed to wake me, Rei-chan,” he admonishes, walking over to take Rei's hands in his. He walks backwards, leading Rei out; it's awkward, but he perseveres. Rei still attempts a half-hearted protest as Nagisa steers him back to the bigger room, because Rei wouldn't be Rei if he wasn't trying to be independent and in control. Which, Nagisa realises, is the crux of the problem. If only Rei could switch off that big old brain of his every once in a while and let someone else do things for him.

He keeps this in mind as he takes Rei to bed, unfastening the buttons on Rei's shirt when Rei's fingers prove too clumsy to manage them himself. Nagisa's palms trail lightly down Rei's arms as the shirt slides to the floor, and he feels Rei tremble a little under his touch. His belt, pants and undershirt follow, and Nagisa gets him seated on the edge of the bed in order to remove his socks, and eventually Rei is stretched out on the bed in just his boxers.

As he lays there, one arm over his eyes, Nagisa takes a moment to appreciate the sight of his boyfriend, still for the first time in days save for the rise and fall of his chest. He knows he ought to bundle Rei up in blankets and let him sleep, but there is a nearly-naked Rei-chan in his bed, and Nagisa is not one to let an opportunity slip through his fingers. So who can blame him for clambering up to sit astride Rei's hips, or for leaning over to tease Rei's lips open with his own?

Rei is at least awake enough to respond, thankfully, moaning softly into Nagisa's mouth, and soon enough Nagisa feels a growing hardness pressing against his own as he wiggles his butt. Except Rei suddenly wants to be a lot more involved than he needs to be, hands roving over Nagisa's chest in a very distracting way, and usually Nagisa would enjoy the attention but right now he really wants to be the one taking care of Rei. He tries to use his weight to hold Rei still, but Rei somehow rolls them over so they're laying side-by-side, and as good as it feels to have Rei's hands on him, Nagisa just wants him to relax, to lay back and let Nagisa do the driving for once. He tries to slip one leg between Rei's only to be stopped by Rei's much stronger thigh wrapping over both of his, as Rei's arm snakes up inside Nagisa's pyjama top.

“Rei-chan, just let me - ” He tries to roll them back over, but Rei won't let him.

“No, it's fine, I can - ”

“Rei-chan, I want - ”

“I've got it, just - ”

Rei's other hand slides into the waistband of his pyjama pants. Nagisa seizes the opportunity (and both Rei's wrists), finding enough strength to push himself back up so he's sitting over Rei again.

“Rei-chan, so help me, you are going to lay back and let me get you off, even if I have to tie you to the bed to do it!” He stresses his point by pinning Rei's arms to the mattress by his head, which results in Nagisa leaning forward, his face inches from Rei's.

Immediately, Rei stills. There is no sound in the room except for Nagisa's deep, quick breaths. Rei barely even moves when Nagisa pushes his weight back, settling his rump over Rei's groin. Instead, Nagisa sees the reaction on Rei's face: his eyes are wide, pupils so dilated his eyes look almost completely black, and his lips are parted, the tip of his tongue just visible.

Carefully, almost questioningly, Nagisa tightens his grip on Rei's wrists. In answer, Rei lets out the breath he's been holding, his body going soft, entirely unresisting. His eyes remain locked on Nagisa's, apparently waiting for him to decide what happens next.

Nagisa's brain works surprisingly fast under the circumstances. He tentatively releases his hold on Rei's arms, satisfied when Rei keeps them in place, before slipping off the bed, his eyes on Rei's face until the last possible moment. He looks away only to turn and rummage in the closet until he finds his prize: one of Rei's neckties, which hasn't been worn the entire time they've lived together, but which Rei insists he needs. Nagisa brings it back to the bed and shows it to Rei, who gives the smallest nod of approval.

With shaking hands, Nagisa ties the thinnest end around Rei's left wrist, feeds the other end around the wooden slats of the headboard, then ties it around Rei's right wrist. He can't bring himself to make the knots too tight – the thought of getting them stuck and having to cut Rei's tie is mortifying – but Rei doesn't even attempt to test them. He just keeps his arms up above his head, resting on the pillow where Nagisa places them.

Satisfied that Rei isn't going to move, Nagisa resumes his position over Rei's thighs. Rei's penis is still hard, tenting his boxers, and part of Nagisa wants to dive back in and do just what he'd planned to earlier – give Rei a toe-curling orgasm and let the resulting afterglow carry him off to sleep. But this is new, this is scary, and Nagisa wants to make absolutely certain that Rei actually wants this before he does anything else.

“Are you okay?” he asks, his voice scarcely more than a whisper. Rei nods. “Is...this...okay?” He gestures up to where Rei's hands are secured. The rich maroon colour of the tie looks gorgeous against his skin.

Rei answers, “Yes,” in a voice that is soft and breathy and somehow not quite himself.

Stretched out beneath him, Rei is quite a sight. His hair is adorably dishevelled, his face and neck flushed red, and with his arms pulled up by his head his abs are pulled taught, the faintest outline of his ribs just visible down his sides. If he were so inclined, Nagisa could reach out with tickling fingers and reduce Rei to a screaming, giggling mess. Or he could take his time, tease and torment until Rei is writhing and begging for Nagisa to finish him off.

But Rei has put his trust in Nagisa. Rei, who is strong and tall and could easily work his way out of Nagisa's bindings and throw him off, pin him down and have his way with him if he chose. Rei has put himself in Nagisa's hands, and Nagisa is determined to prove that he deserves Rei's trust.

So he leans over, places his hands flat on the mattress either side of Rei's head, and kisses him, soft and sweet, to thank Rei for his obedience. Rei responds, but lets Nagisa take the lead, uncomplaining when Nagisa's mouth travels down over his chin and neck, tracing the well-defined undersides of his pectorals, skipping his stomach where Rei is ticklish, and down until Nagisa has to shift further back so that he can bend over and apply his mouth to Rei's still-covered erection. Somewhere above him, Rei whimpers, as Nagisa sucks, making the fabric damp. He looks up, replacing his mouth with the palm of his hand.

Rei arches up into the touch, moaning, “please,” until Nagisa whips his hand away.

“Ah-ah,” he chides, face stern. “Quiet, Rei-chan!” He has no idea where that came from, but Rei does as he is told, clamping his mouth shut and holding his hips still. Nagisa rewards him by gently pulling down his underwear to free his erection, which lays heavy against his stomach. He hears Rei's sharp inhale, but when Rei doesn't make any other sound, Nagisa continues, dropping his head and taking Rei's cock in one hand.

As Nagisa sets to work, he pays attention to the way Rei holds himself as still as possible, allowing him to set his own pace. Apart from the occasional soft moan in between his increasingly quick breaths, Rei doesn't make a sound, and when Nagisa glances up he sees that Rei's eyes are tight shut. He wants to tell Rei how pleased he is that Rei trusts him, that Rei is being so good by letting Nagisa take care of him, but as much as Nagisa usually loves making Rei blush with dirty talk, this doesn't feel like the right time for it. Besides, he doesn't want to drag this out too long. He'd been set on making Rei feel good, on getting him off so that he can relax and enjoy the wonderful warm tingling that Nagisa feels in the minutes between climaxing and drifting off to sleep, and if there's anything Rei needs tonight (apart from a mind-blowing orgasm) it's a good night's sleep.

He keeps it simple, focusing entirely on Rei's cock, covering with his hand what his mouth can't, setting an even rhythm until he hears Rei's breathing shift to short shallow inhales through his nose, a sure sign that he's about to come. At that, Nagisa pulls back until his mouth just covers the tip of Rei's cock, pumping the shaft with his hand until Rei tenses and coats Nagisa's tongue with his spend. Nagisa swallows, not usually keen on the bitter taste but determined tonight to keep the mess to a minimum. He holds Rei in his mouth until Rei softens, before gently releasing him.

Nagisa sits back on his knees, rolling out the stiffness from his shoulders, and looks down at Rei. Rei's eyes are still closed, but his breaths are slow and deep. He could almost be asleep, except that Nagisa can see his fingers twitching, the muscles in his forearms tensing. He shifts on the bed so that he can place both hands over Rei's wrists, stroking his fingers over the soft skin before attempting to untie the knots in the necktie. They are still a little loose, proof that Rei barely moved his arms the whole time, but Nagisa still fumbles over them, his hands suddenly shaking, and it takes longer than it should to free Rei's arms. When Nagisa finally pulls the tie away, he runs his palms over Rei's arms, wincing a little as Rei slowly brings his arms back to his sides with a faint hiss of discomfort.

Although the room is still lit only by the bedside lamp, Rei still seems a little uncomfortable when he opens his eyes again; he blinks rapidly and turns his head away like the light hurts. Nagisa gently removes his glasses for him, setting them down on the nightstand, before reaching down to pull up the blankets. Rei shuffles over to one side of the bed and Nagisa tucks him in, leaning over to place a kiss on Rei's forehead.

They should probably talk, he thinks. He should check that Rei is really okay, maybe get him a drink of water or massage his wrists or something. But Rei looks so peaceful, and even makes happy little noises as he snuggles further down under the blankets. All Nagisa can do is watch as Rei makes himself comfortable, his eyes drifting closed again, and in minutes Rei is asleep.

Once he is certain Rei won't be disturbed, he slips out of the room and into the bathroom. It takes Nagisa maybe a minute to get himself off, the image of Rei naked and flushed and stretched out on his bed easily recalled as he strokes himself to completion.

Afterwards, he looks at his reflection in the mirrored doors of the medicine cabinet. He feels spacey and light, not quite in his own body, the way he did after the very first time he kissed Rei. It's weird and nice and strange all at the same time, and he isn't sure how to process what he's feeling, especially without Rei to talk to about it.

He gets back into bed beside Rei, switches off the lamp, and listens to his boyfriend's peaceful, even breathing until he eventually falls asleep himself.

In the morning, Rei is up and out of the house before Nagisa even wakes up. This is nothing out of the ordinary, but when Nagisa's phone chirps halfway through breakfast, the unexpected text message from Rei makes him pause mid-mouthful. The message is nothing more than a little picture of a heart. Rei has probably never used an emoji in his life, and Nagisa has no idea how to respond.

They do talk about it, eventually, when Rei comes home early for once that evening. They eat dinner at the tiny folding table in their tiny kitchen, and after some painfully banal questions and answers about Rei's classes and Nagisa's job, they somehow edge their way around to the topic of last night's little adventure.

“It was...unexpected,” Rei tells him, his hand resting lightly on Nagisa's. “I didn't realise just how wound up I was. Letting you...take the lead like that. I want to say it was relaxing, but that would be an understatement.”

Nagisa turns his hand over so that he can twist his fingers around Rei's.

“I think I get it,” he answers. “Rei-chan is always so responsible and hard-working, so it must be tough to give up control to someone else. But I can see how it could be...”

“Freeing,” Rei finishes for him when Nagisa trails off. They smile at each other, before Rei stands and clears the dishes from the table.

Five weeks later, Rei is panicking. His first end-of-term exam is the following day and he's convinced he's going to fail it. No amount of consolation from Nagisa will convince him that he'll be fine, that he's studied so much he could probably re-write the textbook from memory. Neither can Nagisa convince him that the best thing he can do now is stop reading, take a shower and have a full night's sleep so he's well-rested before the exam. Rei has covered the kitchen table with books, because the spare room is “too distracting” apparently, and is alternately reciting formulas and sipping iced tea. Nagisa has already had his first exam; his approach to second-year exams is much the same as last year, which means he borrows lecture notes from his classmates, reads them on the train the morning of the exam, and somehow learns enough to scrape a passing grade. As long as he graduates and doesn't waste the money his parents are spending on his tuition, he doesn't worry too much about percentages. But he understands that grades are important to Rei, so as much as it pains him to see his boyfriend so stressed, he bites his tongue.

At ten-thirty, Rei lets out a frustrated groan, startling Nagisa who is busily washing dishes, and pushes his chair away from the table, making the legs squeak horribly across the floor. He stomps out of the kitchen, and Nagisa hears him rummaging in the spare room. He briefly considers offering Rei a massage in an attempt to relax him just a little, but then he hears the door to their shared room open, and wonders if perhaps Rei is sensible enough to try and sleep after all.

Instead, a few minutes later, Rei appears in the kitchen doorway. He looks much more subdued, and Nagisa is actually about to ask him if something is wrong, when Rei clears his throat, looks away, then holds out a hand. It takes Nagisa a moment to work out what it is that Rei's holding. The maroon necktie is clenched in his fist. 

Nagisa dries his hands on the dish-towel before crossing the kitchen to take the tie. He looks up, but Rei refuses to meet his eyes. Instead, Rei whispers, “I think...I need to switch off for a while.”

He leads Rei by the hand to their shared room. There, he takes his time undressing Rei, who moves when required but otherwise lets Nagisa strip him of everything except his underwear. Next, Nagisa guides him to lay on the bed, and just like before, he secures Rei's arms to the headboard with loose knots. Once again, Rei makes no attempt to test the restraints. Nagisa slips off Rei's glasses, folds the arms back and sets them on the nightstand. Rei's eyes close, and his breathing evens out, and he waits for Nagisa.

Nagisa doesn't know if Rei actually wants sex this time. 'Switching off' might mean he needs a distraction, and if Nagisa had to choose he would always pick sex over, well, practically anything else, but it might also mean that Rei just needs someone to make him stop working for a while. Not quite sure what to do, Nagisa settles his hand on Rei's chest and spends a while just feeling the steady rise and fall of Rei's deep breaths.

“Let me tell you something about Rei-chan,” he begins, his voice soft and light. “Rei-chan is the smartest person I know. He got into one of the best colleges in the country. He persuaded my parents to let me live with him in the city, and picked us a cute apartment that we could afford, and when the power went out last winter Rei-chan had torches and candles ready so that we didn't have to sit in the dark or bump into each other and fall down the staircase.” His hand drifts across Rei's chest, tracing the outline of his pectorals and up over the rise of his collarbone. “Rei-chan aces every exam he takes, and is so good at going to all his lectures. He works hard at his job, and even has time to go running so that he stays in shape. That's why Rei-chan is so beautiful.”

He's not lying. Sometimes Nagisa wonders why the girls at school weren't all over Rei – even then he had an incredible body, and he's only grown more good-looking as he's gotten older. A little taller, a little broader across the shoulders, his cheekbones sharper and his thighs stronger. Of course, he knows it's all sort of cancelled out by Rei's innate dorkiness, but he'll never say that out loud. 

“Rei-chan is so, so beautiful,” he continues, finally allowing his hand to sweep down to Rei's hips and over his thigh. “And Rei-chan works so hard to take care of me. He makes me feel so good. Like when it's cold out and he puts me in his jacket with his strong arms around me. Or when he makes me breakfast, and packs me lunches for when I go to work. But I like it most when we're in bed and Rei-chan wraps me up in his arms.” 

Nagisa's palm ghosts over Rei's crotch, unsurprised that Rei is already growing hard. Whether it's from his touches or his words, he doesn't know, and doesn't entirely care.

“I love it when Rei-chan is inside me.” He slips his hand inside Rei's underwear. “Rei-chan fills me up, makes me feel amazing. I love it when he lifts me up, so it's like I'm floating while he's fucking me.”

Usually Nagisa considers himself an expert at dirty-talk. He always knows what to say to make Rei turn red, to make him groan and writhe and moan Nagisa's name. But this feels different. More real, more honest. It makes Nagisa struggle to speak above a whisper, almost as if he's worried someone might overhear. But it seems to be having the right effect on Rei, who is hot and hard in his hand. Nagisa slips Rei's underwear all the way off, and Rei barely moves except to lift up his butt to make the task a little easier. When he's done, Nagisa uses both hands to part Rei's legs, encouraging him to bend his knees so that Nagisa can settle in just the right place to use his mouth on Rei's cock. Unable to manage full sentences anymore, Nagisa opts to whisper Rei's name every now and then when he's not licking or kissing or sucking. 

Rei's knees stay bent, his legs still in the air, even though it must be uncomfortable, but since Nagisa hasn't told him he can move, he keeps them there. Eventually Nagisa takes pity on him and moves Rei's legs so that they rest over Nagisa's shoulders. Rei remains silent, even when Nagisa presses two fingers to Rei's entrance, not pushing inside, just applying constant pressure like he knows Rei likes as he continues to work Rei's cock with his mouth. When he feels Rei is close to coming, he switches to using just his hands, murmuring “Rei-chan, Rei-chan,” until Rei's muscles clench and he shudders, letting out a long breath as he orgasms.

Nagisa hums softly as he helps Rei to stretch out his legs, as he unfastens the knots in the necktie, and holds Rei's hands as he slowly brings his arms back down, rolling his shoulders and flexing his elbows.

Once Rei is able to move fully, Nagisa helps him off the bed and leads him to the bathroom. He wishes they had a bathtub so that Rei could soak for a while, but they make do with the shower. Nagisa quickly shucks off his own clothes, checks that the water is the right temperature, then guides Rei into the cubicle, trying not to squeal when his butt presses against the cold tiles. He shampoos Rei's hair, taking time to massage his scalp, then soaps up his arms and chest. When Rei does little more than move where Nagisa manoeuvres him, Nagisa keeps going down, washing Rei's groin and legs. As he works he tells Rei that he is “so good for staying so still for me, so good for letting me take care of him.” Rei manages a smile at that, but doesn't talk until Nagisa has rinsed him off and helped him out of the shower and is wrapping a towel around him.

Rei moves of his own accord for the first time since they started, taking Nagisa's hands in his own.

“Thank you,” he says, before leaning down to kiss Nagisa's cheek. Nagisa just lets Rei wrap both arms around him. He feels Rei's face pressed against the join of his neck and shoulder, and hums appreciatively.

They dry off and change into pyjamas, and once in bed they wriggle around each other until Rei is pressed against Nagisa's back, holding him tight. He feels Rei press a kiss to his ear.

“Thank you,” Rei repeats.

“Love you,” he answers, before Rei falls asleep.

Once their exams are over, they have a proper conversation about it. Several, actually. Nagisa asks yet again if Rei is truly okay with being tied up, and Rei assures him that it's not the tying up that works; rather, it's the process of handing over control to someone he trusts. That makes Nagisa blush, and he can't meet Rei's eye for a whole minute, while Rei talks about how it's like getting on an aeroplane for the first time; it ought to be terrifying, but once you accept that the pilot knows what they're doing, you can sit back and enjoy the journey.

They talk about what Rei likes and doesn't like, and what Nagisa is and isn't comfortable doing. Nagisa asks if Rei feels like he wants to be punished for something, and Rei splutters and squawks until Nagisa apologises and blushes all over again. Rei explains that he doesn't get off on pain, but tentatively asks Nagisa what kind of things he'd do to keep control if Rei tested him. They talk about withholding pleasure, and verbal commands, and safe words and signals. They experiment with positions, and Nagisa finds that he enjoys seeing Rei spread-eagled on their bed, all four limbs restrained, but Rei ends up using the safe-word the first time, saying that he's not sure he likes having his legs tied down too. Nagisa unties him, and they sit on the bed for a while, not sure what to do next.

The following day, Rei shows Nagisa a couple of websites, and they talk about aftercare. Rei agrees with Nagisa that it would be nice if they had a bathtub, but accepts that the shower worked well last time. They even take a trip to Akihabara to buy something a little more suitable for tying someone up than a necktie; Nagisa could spend all day in M's seven-floor store, but Rei looks like he's trying to hide inside his jacket as they walk past shelves of whips and ball-gags, so they cut the visit short and leave with a beginner's set of pre-knotted ropes.

And everything continues as normal. They still have sex, and sometimes it's incredible (Rei comes home early from work, finds Nagisa in the kitchen, picks him up and fucks him on the kitchen table while the pot on the stove boils dry) and sometimes it's kind of bad (Nagisa accidentally knees Rei in the face and makes his nose bleed) and mostly it's the same sex they've been having since they moved in together. Between classes and jobs, they don't have a lot of down-time, but they still share a bed, and sometimes they'll fall asleep after mutual handjobs, and sometimes there's time for a morning quickie in the shower, and most of the time Nagisa barely even thinks about the box of ropes in the bottom of the closet.

But then Rei turns 20 and has a minor crisis about his future, and Nagisa brings out the ropes and talks to Rei while he lays prone on the bed, and there's no sex but Rei tells Nagisa he feels so much better once they've showered and are wrapped up in bed together.

Then Nagisa has to go back home for a long weekend to celebrate a sister's engagement and Rei panics about the thought of Nagisa's parents finding out about them and being awful to him, so Nagisa sits him in a kitchen chair and ties his hands behind his back and sucks him off, leaving a hickey on Rei's inner thigh for good measure so he has something to focus on while Nagisa's away.

And then suddenly they're graduating, like three years just flew by while they weren't paying attention, and both sets of parents make the journey to the city to celebrate. They don't get to go to each other's ceremonies, but they make sure to get pictures with each other, and there's a dinner-outing where Nagisa's parents gush over how good a friend Rei has been, keeping Nagisa focused on his studies. Every so often, Rei's mother shoots him a glance that makes Nagisa think she knows more than she's letting on. He guessed a while back that she knew about them, but she's never said anything, and Nagisa's grateful for it. Rei's more concerned with hiding the faint red welts on his wrists, because the night before his own graduation ceremony was filled with panic and stress and eventually with Rei on his stomach, arms tied to the headboard, and a thick blue plug in his ass. That was a tough night for Nagisa, who had to figure out how to deal with a Rei who seemed less willing to submit than usual, pulling at the ropes and squirming even though Nagisa instructed him to be still. They ended up with Nagisa laying over Rei, his cock pressed to the cleft of Rei's backside, and Nagisa discovering just how stern he could be as he demanded that Rei stay silent while he rutted against him. It was the first time that Nagisa got off while Rei was tied up, and after they'd finished and showered, Nagisa had burst into tears, apologising to Rei for focusing on himself instead of taking care of Rei like he was supposed to. Rei had held him, shushed him and kissed his forehead, and in the morning Rei pointed out that it had definitely taken his mind off the stress of graduation.

Rei scores a job with a tech company in Akihabara, while Nagisa goes full-time at the cafe he's worked at previously until he figures out what he wants to do with his life. They're able to move to a slightly bigger apartment, and Nagisa is thrilled that there is a tub in the bathroom this time. It sees use on their first night there; Nagisa's parents have found out about them, and Rei lets Nagisa take out his frustrations by unpacking their box of ropes before they unpack anything else. It's a little ill-advised – Nagisa is rougher than usual, fucking Rei hard on their new bed, and both of them are silent through it all save for Nagisa's grunts and quiet curses – and afterwards Rei is the one who fills the tub, climbing in first and settling Nagisa between his legs. They both cry a little, until Rei distracts Nagisa by asking how he'd like to decorate each room of their apartment, and Nagisa kisses the welts on Rei's wrists before they go to bed.

Their jobs mean their timetables match up a lot better than they did while they were in college, and there's time for daytrips and lazy evenings in front of the TV. They take a long weekend to visit Makoto and Gou back in Iwatobi, and when Haruka is in the city for some intensive training, they take a day off to take him out to lunch.

Sometimes Rei finds his job frustrating – he's hired as a lab assistant, but keeps pushing for opportunities to help out with some of the company's higher level work and isn't getting very far. The ropes come out maybe once a month, and Nagisa sees how much calmer Rei is afterwards.

Nagisa is the one who first finds out about Shibari. He's online looking for replacements for their pre-knotted ropes, which are starting to get a bit worn, and first comes across a site about safe knots, which links to other sites with intriguing names.

When Rei comes home from work that evening, he finds Nagisa looking at pages of images on his laptop. Rei leans over his shoulder to look, and Nagisa hears his sharp intake of breath, before he whispers, “beautiful...”

They do a lot of research, because Rei is the research king and because Nagisa will do anything that makes Rei look so captivated and awestruck. They scour websites and read articles and Rei makes an extensive collection of photographs in a well-hidden folder on his computer. After a long discussion, they sign up for a class.

While Nagisa is always excited to meet new people, he understands Rei's nervousness. But that soon dissipates, as they and three other couples spend an evening watching a muscular young woman just a little older than they are create a series of intricate patterns in red rope on the bodies of two others; a petite woman with cropped red hair, and a man with more piercings than Nagisa can count. Afterwards, while Nagisa drinks Coke with one of the other couples from the class, Rei has an intense conversation with with the man with the piercings.

He's quiet on the journey home, clearly thinking about all that they've seen.

The following week, they go back to the class, and after learning some basic knots, Nagisa gets to make a pattern in red rope across Rei's back. The rope is similar in colour to the necktie they started out with, and they share a meaningful look as they begin. Nagisa is aware of the other couples watching them, of their heavy breaths and occasional whispers, but all he cares about is the warmth of Rei's skin, and how beautiful Rei will look criss-crossed with red rope.

On the way home, Nagisa asks Rei how he'd feel about getting a tattoo on his back. Rei is horrified, which makes Nagisa laugh, but he agrees that Rei-chan is beautiful enough already, and tattoos would only spoil his perfect skin. They take home with them a bag of supplies purchased from the teacher, who has a store in the same building where she teaches. The next night, Nagisa tries to recreate what he's learnt. It isn't quite so good without the teacher's guidance, but Rei still looks amazing.

“I wish you could see yourself, Rei-chan,” he says as he stands back to admire his handiwork. Rei is kneeling on the rug in their living room, his eyes closed, almost entirely still. He usually drifts off into something like a trance whenever Nagisa ties him up, and Nagisa envies him a little for it. “I should take a picture,” he announces.

He's halfway towards his bag, where his phone is, when Rei calls out their safe-word.

Immediately, Nagisa darts back to him, kneeling in front of him.

“No pictures,” Rei whispers. Nagisa cups Rei's face in his hands, studying his expression, trying not to panic at the way Rei has tensed up.

“Do you want me to untie you?” he asks. Rei thinks for a moment, then nods.

He helps Rei to dress, and together they put the ropes away.

“This is just between us,” Rei tells him afterwards. “I don't want anyone else to see.”

“I wouldn't show the pictures to anyone,” he insists, but Rei shakes his head.

“What if you lost your phone?”

Nagisa takes a minute to think it through, quickly realising the implications.

“No pictures,” he agrees. “But I still wish you could see yourself.

At their final class, Rei and the other 'canvases' are not only tied up, but suspended from an array of ropes attached to the ceiling of their workroom. When Rei is released from his bonds, he is grinning, flushed and light-headed and Nagisa would swear he was drunk if he didn't know better. He holds Rei in a tight embrace; around the room, the other couples are doing much the same.

“Rei-chan is so beautiful,” Nagisa whispers in his ear.

“And Nagisa-kun takes such good care of me,” Rei answers.

When everyone has calmed down, they spend time chatting with their instructor. Everyone is given a bag containing an assortment of books, pamphlets and CDs as a thank-you. Nagisa digs into their bag immediately, and the first thing he pulls out is a business card.

Their instructor, seeing Nagisa's enthusiasm, explains that it's for a photographer, a friend of hers, who specialises in fetish photography.

They talk about it on the way home, in an empty train carriage. Nagisa points out that it could be the only chance Rei has to see just how incredible he looks when he's bound.

A month later, and Nagisa presents Rei with his birthday present: a framed photograph of Rei bound in blue ropes which make a perfectly symmetrical pattern over his back. The photograph is framed in such a way that Rei's face isn't visible at all, just his strong back and buttocks, his skin shiny with sweat, and his hair. He isn't recognisable at all except to Nagisa.

When Nagisa hands over the gifts, he's terrified that Rei will be angry with him. But Rei hangs the picture over their bed, kisses Nagisa, and looks up at the photograph with watery eyes.

“I can't believe that's really me,” he says, and Nagisa wants to laugh.

After a year in their new apartment, Rei gets good news; a research post has opened up and he's been invited to interview. Nagisa takes him out to dinner to celebrate, even though Rei insists they shouldn't until Rei is actually offered the post, and he quietly anticipates the night before the interview, when Rei inevitably panics and manages to whack his hand against the kitchen cabinets because he's flailing so much as he complains about all the ways he's likely to screw up.

Nagisa already has the ropes prepped, and two hours later, with Rei's permission, he uses their digital camera to take a photograph of Rei, sitting cross-legged on the floor, bound with blue rope. He lets Rei sit in silence for a while, then spends another half-hour unfastening the knots. By the time he's got Rei into the bathtub, Rei is completely calm, still a little euphoric from his experience, but thoroughly grateful for Nagisa's care and attention.

The next morning, as Rei is dressing for his interview and in danger of a second panic attack, Nagisa brings another box out from the closet. It's small enough to fit into the palm of his hand, and Rei stills in the middle of buttoning his shirt.

“I was saving this for...well, for until you got the job,” Nagisa begins, feeling a little embarrassed to be doing this while still in his pyjamas. “But it might come in handy today.”

Rei opens the box and pulls out a slim silver-coloured chain.

“I know you don't wear jewellery,” Nagisa continues, “but don't think of it as anything like that.”

The ends of the chain are held together with a tiny padlock. Nagisa reaches into the box and produces an even tinier key, which he uses to unlock it. Rei allows him to fasten the chain around his neck.

“We talked, a long time ago, about what we did and didn't want to do, and we both agreed that we didn't want to do all that cheesy leather stuff like boots and collars. And this isn't leather, but I totally understand if you don't want it. I just thought...” Nagisa looks down, shifting awkwardly. “I thought maybe, you could wear this at work, and remember. You know, remember the stuff we do, because it calms you down. So if you got worried about something, or stressed, and I wasn't there, it'd be like a little reminder. It's dumb, really.”

“No, it isn't.” Rei fingers the little padlock, then finishes buttoning up his shirt so that it's hidden from view. When he's done, he takes Nagisa's hands in his, and kisses his knuckles. “Thank you.” He grins, and Nagisa can't help but do the same. “And tonight, I'm taking cooking dinner for you. I might even pick up a bottle of wine on my way home.” He adjusts his glasses, and lifts his head. “After all, we should celebrate my new job.”

Nagisa smiles even wider, wrapping his arms around Rei and pressing his face to Rei's chest.

“That's the spirit!” he cheers, although it comes out muffled.

Rei leaves the apartment with a veritable spring in his step, and Nagisa couldn't be more grateful for his beautiful, dorky-as-hell boyfriend.


End file.
